Windows 7 - cant print black

Asked By mrs bird

18-Nov-09 03:19 PM

re installed, new cartridge, but cant print black.  colors work....? what
can I do

23-Nov-09 03:30 AM

This problem can be particularly annoying because it can be the result of a
hardware problem in the printer, or a software driver problem.
Since you replaced the black cartridge, have you tried to use any of the
printers diagnostics (in the driver options,)  or perhaps any diagnostics
built in the printer?
Does your printer have heads on the cartridges, or are they just ink tanks?
Make and model info would really help!

I once had a customer (years ago) complain about the same problem. Seems
they were trying to print white text on colored paper. The long and short of
it was thay they had not figured out the difference between printing a
graphic rendition of a page, and a non graphics rendition.  With no white
ink, it is only possible using a graphic rendition that provides a colored
background.

17-Dec-09 09:52 PM

There is another possibility--
If the printer has "fixed" heads and removable inktanks, (My old Cannon S750
for instance)
The black head may be clogged up with dried ink.
I ended up using Windex, saturated paper towels, and a plastic bag to soak
the head for several days, then rinsed out the ink screen on the head,
sprayed some windex in via the screen, then let the head sit for a day or so
in the plastic bag. Eventually the black nozzles started to unclog. A couple
of additional flushes
with windex and then water, followed by reassembly into the printer, and
execution of the head cleaning sequences restored black printing.